The University of Minnesota Duluth is back in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row and, for the second straight time, finds itself in the Northeast Regional where this Friday (March 25) in Worcester, Mass., the Bulldogs will take on defending national champion Providence College. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. (CT) at the DCU Center. That will precede the other semifinal round bout between Boston College and Harvard University with the two winners moving on to the Northeast Regional championship the next day at 8 p.m.

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NCAA Northeast Regional Information

THE RECORDS: UMD owns an 18-15-5 overall record and finished in fourth place in the NCHC standings with a 11-10-3-1 mark. Providence College is 27-6-4 and shared the Hockey East regular season title (with Boston College) by going 16-3-3. Boston College enters NCAA post season play armed with a 26-7-6 record in all games while Harvard is 19-10-4 on the year and went 12-6-4 in Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference play (third place).

THE RECORDS: Providence College is the Northeast Regional's No. 1 seed followed by Boston College (No. 2), Harvard (No. 3) and UMD (No. 4).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how this year's Northeast Regional field stacked up in this week's USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls as well as the PairWise rankings:

                    USCHO.com    USA Hockey    PairWise
UMD            No. 14               No. 14               No. 14
PC               No. 4                 No. 4                 No. 4
BC               No. 6                 No. 5                 No. 5
Harvard      No. 10                No. 9                 No. 11
        
ON THE AIR: All of UMD's games this weekend will be carried live on 92.1 FM The Fan with Bruce Ciskie handling the play-by-play responsibilities. The broadcast can also be heard on KQ 105.5 FM in Grand Rapids/Hibbing, Minn.; KQ 106.7 FM in Ely/Virginia, Minn.; 105.7 FM The Fan Siren/Pine City, Minn., and Red Zone Sports Radio 930 in Aitkin, Minn., as part of the Bulldog Radio Network and at: 921thefan.com or via the iHeartRadio app.

The UMD-Providence College semifinal will be aired on ESPN3/WatchESPN with ESPNU televising the rest of the Northeast Regional. John Buccigross (play-by-play), Barry Melrose (analyst) and Quint Kessenich (rinkside) are serving as the on-air talent.

THE RIVALRY: UMD and Providence College have met 24 times previously with the last of those coming on Oct. 21-22, 2011 in Providence, R.I., where the Bulldogs kicked off the non-conference series by throttling the hosts 5-2 before the two clubs skated to a 2-2 deadlock the following night. One year earlier (Oct. 15-16, 2010), Providence College served as the opposition in UMD's final home openers ever at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center and were upended twice (5-3 and 7-1). UMD holds a 15-7-2 lead in the all-time series, which began on Dec. 12, 1965 at the Brown University Tournament in Providence.

LAST WEEKEND: The Bulldogs paid its first-ever visit to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and got things off to a rousing start Friday by taking down then-No. 1 North Dakota 4-2 in the semifinals at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The reigning NCHC regular seaosn champion and top-seeded Fighting Hawks drew first blood just 49 seconds in, but the Bulldogs responded with three-second period goals and then sealed the deal on junior center Dominic Toninato's second score of the night with 5:58 to go in regulation. Toninato, junior left winger Alex Iafallo (one goal and one assists), junior defenseman Willie Raskob (two assists) and rookie right winger Adam Johnson, each turned in a two-point night for the Bulldogs, who posted their seventh straight victory while putting the clamps on North Dakota's eight-game victory run.

Looking to claim their first conference playoff championship of any time since 2009 when they were members of the WCHA, the Bulldogs then locked up with long-time intrastate rival St. Cloud State on Saturday night in the Frozen Faceoff title bout. UMD took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission on junior defenseman Carson Soucy's third goal of the year (off a nifty feed from Raskob) only to see the Huskies generate the rest of the scoring and prevail 3-1, despite being heavily outshot by a 34-18 margin.

Providence College was ousted in the semifinals of the Hockey East playoff championship, dropping a 2-1 triple-overtime decision to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in Boston.

UMD IN THE BIG DANCE: This year's NCAA Tournament berth is the 10th ever for the UMD program and marks the first time any Bulldog club has made four national appearances in a six-year stretch.

UMD qualified for NCAA postseason play last spring (advancing to the quarterfinal round in Manchester, N.H.), in 2012-13 (quarterfinal round in Worcester, Mass), 2010-11 (captured the school's first NCAA championship in St. Paul), 2008-09 (quarterfinal round in Minneapolis) and 2003-04 (Frozen Four semifinals in Boston) under current head coach Scott Sandelin as well as in 1992-93 (quarterfinal round in Detroit, Mich.), 1984-85 (Frozen Four third place in Detroit), 1983-84 (Frozen Four runnerup in Lake Placid, N.Y.) and 1982-83 (quarterfinal round). UMD has compiled a 15-10-0 lifetime record in the NCAA Tournament and a 9-4 mark since Sandelin's arrival in 2000-01.

THE FIRST ONE IS ALWAYS SPECIAL: The Bulldogs' lone postseason meetings ever with Providence College came in their NCAA Tournament debuts -- a two-game, total-goal series loss to the host Friars on March 18-19,1983.

THEY KNOW THE DRILL: The Northeast Regional features three of the last five NCAA national title winners in UMD (2011), Boston College (2012) and Providence College (2015).
     
THIS ISN'T THEIR FIRST RODEO: Sixteen current Bulldogs got their first taste (two games worth - a 4-1 win over the University of Minnesota and a 3-2 loss to Boston University) of NCAA Tournament warfare last spring at the Northeast Regional in Manchester, N.H. That group included current seniors Tony Cameranesi, Willie Corrin, Cal Decowski, Austin Farley, Charlie Sampair, Andy Welinski and Austyn Young, juniors Alex Iafallo, Brenden Kotyk, Kyle Osterberg, Willie Raskob, Carson Soucy, and Dominic Toninato and sophomores Kasimir Kaskisuo, Karson Kuhlman and Jared Thomas.

THIS ISN'T THEIR FIRST RODEO II: Center Tony Cameranesi, defensman Willie Raskob and goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo were all selected to the six-member All-Tournament Team at the 2015 Northeast Regional in Manchester, NH.

COMMON OPPONENTS: UMD and Providence College had three common opponents in 2015-16 -- UMass-Lowell, Miami University and Notre Dame. Here is how each school fared against that trio:

UMD    Opponent          PC
1-1-0    UMass-Lowell    1-2-0
5-0-1    Miami                 1-0-1
0-0-2    Notre Dame      2-0-0

DANDY ANDY: Two-time All-NCHC second team honoree and minutes-munching team captain Andy Welinski is seeking to do something this winter that only two other individuals have ever done in the 72-year history of Bulldog hockey -- lead all defensemen in scoring for four straight seasons. Welinski , who would join Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Tom Kurvers (1980-84) and All-American Bob Hill (1962-66) in that exclusive group, currently tops the 2015-16 UMD blue line corps in points (19), goals (six) and plus-minus rating (+13) and is one of just four NCHC point men with a shorthanded goal to his credit this season. The 2012-13 WCHA All-Rookie Team selection has taken a shift in all 152 games since joining the UMD program three years ago.

FIRE AWAY: UMD is averaging 34.08 shots on goal per night this winter -- the sixth highest average in all of college hockey, taking a backseat to only Penn State University (41.55), the University of Michigan (37.67), Robert Morris University (35.92), Quinnipiac University (34.97) and Boston University (34.76). The Bulldogs have held the upper hand in shots in 32 of their 38 games this season and are 2-4-0 when they've not done so (with the lone two wins coming on Feb. 26 in St. Cloud and March 5 vs. Miami). On the flip side, UMD has allowed the fourth fewest shots in the nation (25.11 shots per game, a mark bettered by only one NCHC member -- North Dakota's at 24.82), while its shot margin average (+8.97) ranks third nationally and first among NCHC schools.

... BUT MAKE THOSE SHOTS COUNT: UMD, however, is 50th among the 60 NCAA I clubs in shot percentage (.080).

FIRE AWAY II: The 2015-16 Bulldogs are on pace to break the school record for fewest shots allowed (the current mark of 27.5 was set in 2014-15, 2009-10 and 2007-08) and flirting with the shot differential mark (+9.1 in 2011-12). They've also put the fourth most shots on target (34.1 per night) of any UMD club since the 1983-84 season, surpassed only by the 2011-12 (36.6), 1992-93 (36.5), 1984-85 (35.5) and 1996-97 (34.7) units.

LEAD 'DOGS: The Bulldogs have yet to be beaten this winter when they've led at the second intermission (they are 14-0-0 in that situation). The last club to defeat UMD after trailing through two periods was Miami, who rallied from a 3-2 deficit to best the visiting Bulldogs 4-3 in overtime on Feb. 21, 2015.

POINT TAKEN: Senior center Tony Cameranesi (121)and senior left winger Austin Farley (104) are two of 41 current NCAA I pucksters who have reached the 100-point career mark. Nearly half (21) of those 41 individuals will be taking part in the NCAA Tournament this weekend. Cameranesi's point harvest is the seventh highest in the country at the moment.

POINT TAKEN II: Tony Cameranesi will enter Friday night's bout with Providence College toting a an eight-game scoring streak, which is one outing shy of his career best. Cameranesi, a member of the 2012-13 WCHA All-Rookie Team who paced the Bulldogs in scoring in two of the previous three seasons, has amassed nine points (one goal and eight assists) during that eight-game run.

BACK ON THE POWER GRID: Since putting the clamps on an 0-for-38 power play skid against Colorado College on Feb. 5, the Bulldogs have cashed in on eight of their last 45 opportunities (17.8 percent) with the man advantage over the past 13 games. Senior left winger Austin Farley is tied for fourth nationally and paces the NCHC in power play goals with eight (although his last one came back on Dec. 5 against Western Michigan at AMSOIL Arena).

WHERE PUCKS GO TO DIE: Sophomore goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo reigned as the NCHC's goals against average leader (league games only) in 2015-16 with a 1.69 mark and turned in the second best league saves percentage mark (.932) while seeing more minutes of league crease time (1,384:42) of any puckstopper. The Vantaa, Finland, product and 2015-16 All-NCHC honorable mention pick became just the third Bulldog to ever pace his respective league goals against average (the others were Rick Kosti in 1983-84 and Stalock in 2008-09, both in the WCHA). Overall, the Vantaa, Finland, product has compiled a 1.93 goals against average -- a marks that would ecplise the previous UMD single-season record -- and a .922 saves percentage -- in 37 appearances this season. Three weeks ago (March 4) against visiting Miami, he registered his fifth shut out of the year, tying the club single-season record held by both Alex Stalock (2008-09) and Brant Nicklin (1997-98). Kasklsuo, a 2014-15 NCHC All-Rookie Team slection, also strung together three of those shutouts in back-to-back-to-back games between Nov. 20-Dec. 3 -- a UMD program first. A starter in 49 of the Bulldogs' last 50 outings, Kaskisuo has logged more crease time this season (2209:24) than all but six NCAA I netminders. Last spring, he became just the third NCAA I-era (1961-present) freshman to be named UMD's Most Valuable Player.

WHERE PUCKS GO TO DIE II: Over the past four weekends, Kaskisuo is 7-1-0 with a 1.63 goals against average and a .934 saves percentage (he's turned aside 184 of 197 shots). Four of those outings came against Top 4-ranked teams.

SOME CLOSE SHAVES: UMD is 2-7 in one-goal games thus far and six of its last seven losses have been by that margin.

QUITE THE SPORT: Senior center Cal Decowski was the 2015-16 recipient of the NCHC Sportsmanship Award -- and for good reason. During his Bulldog playing days, the highly-respected alternate team captain from Andover, Minn., has stayed clear -- way, way clear -- of the penalty box, picking up just seven penalties (none this winter) for 14 minutes in 133 lifetime outings. Decowski holds the distinction of being the first Bulldog to ever claim a major, year-end NCHC award.

ON A ROLL: Since enduring back-to-back 2-1 road setbacks to North Dakota on Feb. 19-20, the Bulldogs have gone 7-1-0. During that stretch UMD has outscored the opposition 27-13 (9-2 in both the first and third periods), connected on five of 29 power plays (17.2 percent), and registered a .122 shot percentage (compared to a .066 mark by its foes). The Bulldogs have also scored as many times shorthanded (two) as the opposition has with the man advantage (2-for-23; .087). In addition, UMD has gotten points from 19 of a possible 20 players who hit the ice during that stretch, including sophomore goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo (two assists). The only Bulldog to be blanked is rookie Billy Exell, who filled in at right wing for injured senior Austyn Young in UMD's two-game sweep of St. Cloud State (Feb. 26-27).

A ROOKIE ON THE RISE: Neal Pionk, who is one of only six Bulldogs to receive ice time in all 38 games thus far, has generated the second-most points of any NCHC first-year defenseman (17) and tops that group in shots (83), shot per game average (2.18) penalties (18) and penalty minutes (44).

A STREAK NO MORE: Prior to being derailed by St. Cloud State last Saturday, UMD had reeled off seven straight wins. The last time the Bulldogs pieced together a longer victory streak was between Jan. 2-Feb. 21, 2004 when they won nine in a row on their way to an eventual appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four.

WELL DONE WILLIE: Junior defenseman Willie Raskob landed a spot on the NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team (joining teammate Dominic Toninato) after racking up three points (all assists) on the weekend., which tied him for the Frozen Faceoff scoring lead. Raskob has skated in two post-season events as a collegian (the 2015 Northeast Regional was the other) and has two All-Tournament citations to show for it.

THE HOME STRETCH: UMD's eight seniors -- the second largest class the Bulldogs have sported in 29 years. -- suited up for their first -- and only -- NCHC Frozen Faceoff assignments as collegians last weekend. That group of fourth-year Bulldogs, who were freshmen during UMD's final year of competition in the WCHA, includes forwards Tony Cameranesi, Cal Decowski, Austin Farley, Charlie Sampair and Austyn Young, defensemen Willie Corrin and Andy Welinski and goalie Matt McNeely. The last time a Bulldog roster was comprised of more seniors than the current one was in 2004-05 (11).

SAVING THEIR BEST FOR LAST: UMD's most potent period this season has been the third, where it has outscored the opposition 37-21.

FREE HOCKEY: UMD has won just three of the last 25 games that have required overtime, going 3-6-16. Only three active Bulldogs -- junior left wingers Alex Iafallo and Kyle Osterberg and senior center Cal Decowski -- have an overtime goal on their collegiate resume. UMD's most recent extra-session victory came on Dec. 5, 2014 -- a 3-2 decision over Colorado College at AMSOIL Arena in which Osterberg scored the game winner. The Bulldogs are 0-2-9 in overtimes since (0-1-5 this winter).

A REAL KILLJOY: The Bulldogs are tied for sixth nationally in penalty killing efficiency (86.7 percent) and have thwarted 35 of the opposition's last 37 opportunities (94.6 percent) with the man advantage.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS: The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 74-22 (22-4 in the opening period of play alone) in their 18 wins to date while going 18-for-76 on the power play (23.7 percent). They've connected at just 6.5 percent (5-for-77) with the man advantage in their other 20 games.

AT THE HEAD OF THEIR CLASS: Thirteen Bulldogs earned 2015-16 NCHC All-Academic status (for maintaining a 3.20 cumulative grade point average or better) with three of those -- senior centers Tony Cameranesi and Cal Decowski and junior defenseman Dan Molenaar -- collaring a spot on the NCHC Scholar-Athlete Team.(3.50 GPA or above). Besides the trio of Cameranesi, Decowski and Molenaar, the group of honored Bulldogs included seniors Austin Farley and Charlie Sampair, juniors Alex Iafallo, Brenden Kotyk, Willie Raskob, Carson Soucy and Dominic Toninato, and sophomores Karson Kuhlman, Sammy Spurrell and Jared Thomas. Cameranesi (three times), Decowski (three times), Iafallo (twice), Kotyk (twice), Kuhlman (twice), Molenaar (three times), Raskob (three times), Sampair (three times), Spurrell (twice), Toninato (twice) and Thomas (twice) are all repeat qualifiers.

BULLDOG BITS: Going back to a 5-4 loss to visiting Minnesota on Oct. 15, 2011, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in 62 of the 63 games they've struck for more than three goals (56-1-5). The sole setback during that stretch was inflicted by Minnesota State-Mankato on Oct. 17, 2014 in Duluth (5-4 in overtime).

• UMD currently sports the nation's eighth-highest scoring senior class. The eight, fourth-year Bulldogs have combined for 41 goals and 69 assists for 110 points. Providence College (197 pts.) is third and Harvard (115 pts.) seventh in that department.

• Senior defenseman Andy Welinski pocketed a power play goal each night against Miami in the NCHC quarterfinals and the first of those scores snapped a seven-game pointless drought -- his longest since the 2012-13 season.

• Junior left winger Alex Iafallo has scored four of UMD's last six empty-net goals, including three of its four this season (sophomore right winger Karson Kuhlman has the other in 2015-16).

• Winger Adam Johnson, whose shares the UMD rookie scoring lead (with Neal Pionk) with 18 points, is part of the 11th father-son combination that has been part of the UMD program. His dad, Davey Johnson, was a four-year letterman and captained the Bulldogs as a senior center in 1980-81. Junior center Dominic Toninato also followed in his father's footsteps (forward Jim Toninato, 1982-86).

• The Bulldogs are one of 11 schools in the country this season who haven't scored with an extra attacker this season.

• Senior left winger Charlie Sampair  skated in his 100th career game last Saturday night against St. Cloud State. He's the eighth Bulldog to reach that milestone this year.

• Dominic Toninato turned in his first two-goal night of the season and fourth of his career in UMD's 4-2 triumph over North Dakota in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals. He now has a team-leading 15 goals, one shy of his personal high which he set last winter.

• UMD posted the fifth best average attendance (6,111) in the nation this past winter while going 8-6-2 at AMSOIL Arena.

• Willie Corrin's fiancé, Emily Raboin, is the younger sister of St. Cloud State asst. coach Garrett Raboin. His uncle is Nebraska-Omaha head coach Dean Blais.

• The Bulldogs have both scored and given up four shorthanded goals this season. North Dakota was the last team to collect a shortie against UMD, doing so on Dec. 12 after the Bulldogs had pulled their goalie for an extra attacker.

• UMD ranked second nationally in regular season strength of schedule after topping the country in that department the previous two years.

• The Bulldogs are 2-0-1 lifetime against Nate Leaman-coached clubs. That includes a 2-0 victory in the opening round of the 2011 East Regional in Bridgeport, Conn., when he was behind the Union College bench.  UMD then tied (2-2) and defeated his Friars the following October in Providence.

• Tony Cameranesi's younger sister, Dani Cameranesi, is a junior All-American forward (and a two-time Patty Kazmaier Award Top-10 finalist) for the University of Minnesota hockey team, which last week won its fourth NCAA Frozen Four title in the past five seasons.

FUN IN THE SUN: The champions from each of this weekend's four regionals will advance to the NCAA Frozen Four, which is set for April 7 and 9 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.